Susan E. Cayleff

A gold medal Olympian, Babe Didrikson was arguably the greatest athlete of the twentieth century, excelling at every sport she tried: running, jumping, javelin throwing, swimming, basketball, golf, and baseball, to name just a few. Gifted and controversial, the Babe's athletic prowess and personality took the country by storm from the 1930s to the 1950s. Following the U.S. Women's soccer team's victory in 1999, Babe was mentioned repeatedly as a sports icon for female athletes everywhere. Her achievements, though vast, were cut short at age forty-three when she died from cancer, but Babe set the bar for every female athlete in her wake and opened the world's eyes to what one empowered woman can achieve! The Babe's biography will inspire young adult readers--embracing the current surge of Girlpower--who resonate with her quest for the American Dream, her efforts to compete in a male world, her battle to overcome discrimination against female athletes, and her struggle with identity. Author Susan Cayleff, whose adult biography of Babe Didrikson was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, now brings Babe's rousing true-life story to young women, for whom she stands as a powerful role model.